The Lake Region Law Enforcement Center in Devils Lake, North Dakota, serves as the location where Ashley Jerome was booked following the incident.
A North Dakota woman, enraged by a prank played on her son, accelerated her vehicle toward a group of children and nearly struck them, authorities reported.
Jerome faces four counts of reckless endangerment with extreme indifference in Nelson County District Court. After her booking at the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center, she was released.
On Saturday, deputies from the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting a woman driving toward children in Aneta, a small city in eastern North Dakota, and began an investigation.
According to a probable‑cause affidavit obtained by local NBC affiliate KVLY and CBS affiliate KXJB, children in the neighborhood had taken a boy’s bike, concealed it, and later returned it as a prank. Jerome, the boy’s mother, appeared visibly upset when the incident was reported.
Jerome allegedly accelerated to approximately 60 mph, approached the children, and shouted at them, causing one child to flee in tears. A separate witness observed Jerome’s vehicle speeding down the road with high beams activated, swerving and braking within four feet of the children.
The same witness testified that he stepped in front of the group, prompting Jerome to swerve around him. When the witness attempted to open her passenger window to inquire about the situation, she refused to speak and drove away, according to court documents. Authorities noted that she continued circling the neighborhood for fifteen to twenty minutes, and another witness believed the vehicle might have struck him.
When investigators questioned Jerome, she claimed she was at work when her son informed her that another child had taken his bike and threatened him. She said she drove around searching for the children and was prevented from speaking with them, though she denied reaching a speed of 60 mph, officials said.
Deputies reported that Jerome expressed remorse and explained that her anger stemmed from her son’s experience of bullying.
Jerome is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on November 13.
Leave a Reply